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15/10/2018

Epsilon Games’ first title, Destination Primus Vita, is set primarily in a virtual simulation. As each crew member ‘sleeps’ on their lengthy voyage, the on-board AI, Nim, creates a custom-made simulation for each crew member in order to keep them stimulated during their stasis and generate situations which not only aid their mission against a malevolent alien race called ‘Shatters’ but also work through specific neuroses and personal politics that the AI feels may affect their overall mission.

This, the first episode casts you in the role of the scientist Austin, a brilliant mind but with a somewhat stunted emotional connection with the other crew (including her brother). The game is played in a first-person view as you move through the scenarios and puzzles that Nim generates for you in order to ready you for the eventual team mission.

The setting itself is an interesting one as the virtual world allows for many interesting visual effects and mind-bending twists and turns to take place. The voice work is solid and the way that the characters move, a sort of dreamlike- jittery motion, adds to the sense of unreality. The graphics are also of a high quality and run well even on a medium-powered rig. The main concern that I had with Destination Primus Vita was in the puzzles, as they can occasionally feel shoehorned in, slowing the pace of the game.

The majority of the puzzles relate to other team members, talking to them, picking up papers and tablets that fill out the background and narrative etc. and these are really the main strengths, a blank scene will slowly fill up linked to Austin’s memories as she pieces together clues which open up her understanding of the other crew members’ motivations, however you’ll then come to puzzles which are more simplistic button-based fayre or rely on walking around a location hunting for a certain amount of a specific item and these really take the energy out of the game.

Summary

If the future episodes focus more on the interplay between the characters and Nim’s focus on stimulating them preparing them for the final episode which I assume will take place in the real world, there is room here for an interesting sci-fi romp.

It’s hard to say how the rest of the episodes will pan out as it relies entirely on how each member of the crew is linked and if the back stories are hefty enough to hold up the main thrust of the narrative.

If, however the script is thin on the ground or not gripping enough, wandering around a simulation collecting items could feel a bit of a slog, regardless of how well-presented that simulation is.

💧❄️ RATING: MELTING ❄️💧

Ratings Explained

ICE COOL (Great Game Recommended)

MELTING (Recommended with reservations, one to consider if you are a fan of the genre)